Allergy 2022 Jun 12. Epub 2022 Jun 12.
Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Background: Antibody-based tests are available for measuring SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses but fast T cell assays remain scarce. Robust T cell-based tests are needed to differentiate specific cellular immune responses after infection from those after vaccination.
Materials And Methods: One hundred seventeen individuals (COVID-19 convalescent patients: n=40; SARS-CoV-2 vaccinees: n=41; healthy controls: n=36) were evaluated for SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular immune responses (proliferation, Th1, Th2, Th17, and inflammatory cytokines, activation-induced marker (AIM) expression) by incubating purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or whole blood (WB) with SARS-CoV-2 peptides (S, N, or M), vaccine antigens (tetanus toxoid, tick borne encephalitis virus) or polyclonal stimuli (Staphylococcal superantigen, phytohemagglutinin). Read More